Visa
=Immigration Offices 入国管理局（にゅうこくかんりきょく）= Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau in Wakayama The Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau located in Wakayama City is in charge of all matters relating to immigration and visa status. This includes, issuance of working permits, extending period of stay, changes in visa status, and other applications and procedures. *Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau - Wakayama Branch *6-22-2 Chikko, Wakayama City *Tel. (073)422-8778 *The office is located on the 2nd floor of the building. *Hours: M-F (excluding national holidays) 9-12, 1-4 *Map Immigration Information Center in Osaka At the Immigration Information Center in Osaka, you can get visa and immigration consultation in many different languages, including English, Korean, Chinese, and Spanish. Whether you visit in person, or give them a call or e-mail, the Immigration Information Center is the best resource around for sorting out your visa issues. Osaka Foreign Residents General Information Center 1-9 Rokumantai-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka City Tel. (06)6941-3701 (06)6941-3702 Email: info-osaka@immi-moj.go.jp =Visa Renewal and Status of Residence= If you are staying for more than three years, or are one of the few JETs who received a one-year visa, you will need to apply for an Extension of Period of Stay before the current visa expires. This takes some time, so make sure to take care of this long before your visa expires. Your visa is the stamp in your passport that contains the Period of Stay and Status of Residence information. To renew it, you will have to visit your local immigration office. They are also the people you need to visit if you need to change your status of residency (JETs who do the type change, etc). Either way, you don't need to worry about this until July. CLAIR will send you information on how to get it, and your school/BOE will help you deal with the paperwork. If you are planning to change your visa to a temporary stay visa, it can only be done about one week before you visa expires because when you change the status, you're not actually supposed to be working. You're not guaranteed to have this done in one day. =Renewing your Passport= If you've had to renew your passport while you've been living in Japan, you will need to get your various permits transferred to your new passport. Fortunately, this is a simple process, and can be done at Immigration Offices in Wakayama. All you need to bring is your old passport, your new passport, and it should take no more than 5 minutes. =Post JET Visa Advice>= Staying in Japan after JET If you received landing permission/ renewed your visa/ changed your residency status after July 9, 2012, then you must notify the Immigration Bureau within 14 days of terminating employment or being dismissed. You must submit the following information either in person at the Regional Immigration Bureau, by mail (5-5-30 Konan Minato-ku Tokyo-to, 108-8255, Tokyo Immigration Bureau, Department of Residency Management, Reception Office of Notification), or online via the Immigration Bureau’s Electronic Notification System: name, date of birth, sex, nationality/region, address, residence card number, the date of termination of employment/dismissal, and the name and address of the company you were employed under. *Reference: http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/newimmiact_1/en/q-and-a_page2.html#q107-a, Question 107) If you stay in Japan for longer than 3 months without working, you may be subject to having your visa revoked. If the Immigration Bureau is considering revoking your visa, they will contact you with a date in which you or a representative (lawyer, etc.) can appear at the bureau to express your opinion, submit evidence, and request to view reference materials. *(Reference: http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/zairyuu/qa.html, Questions 9 and 10) Your Employment Contract and Your Visa *Your visa is your property, not that of your employer. Your employer may not determine how you use your visa or demand that you cancel it when you terminate your employment relationship. *Your visa stipulates a certain set of restrictions; your employment contract may stipulate others. JETs are allowed to teach English according to their visa, but their contract forbids them from teaching privately. It's important to know which restrictions apply to your visa, and which apply to your employment contract. Your employer has something to say only about the latter. *A visa is something that gives the bearer permission to reside in a foreign country for a particular purpose. As long as you are not engaging in activities outside of the confines of the visa, you're fine. The category of permitted activities usually pertains to how you generate income. For example, one is not allowed to work on a tourist visa. *Attention Third Years As most of you have visas that will expire on the same day that your contracts come to an end, you must be careful, as you are required to either leave Japan before your current visa expires OR you must apply for a temporary visitor visa before your current visa expires. Leaving before your contract ends (or even the day your contract ends) will be tricky, and you will need to use nenkyu. If you want to apply for the temporary visitor visa. It is strongly advised that you take the time off and renew your visa as soon as possible *If your visa is still valid, you can leave and re-enter Japan as long as you have your residency card (remember to bring your residency card with you). However, in order to become a non-resident and collect your pension refund you have to cancel that visa when leaving Japan i.e. surrender your residency card. *If you want to stay in Japan and renew your visa with a new employer, make sure you hold on to your Letter of Appointment (人事通知書). If your new employer asks you for a Taishoku Shomeisho (退職証明書), your Letter of Appointment should do. The above information was provided in part by the PAs in Ibaraki-ken -Wakayama PAs =Temporary Visitor Visa= If a JET plans to remain in Japan at the end of the JET contract for the purpose of Sightseeing, Study or Employment, the JET must make the appropriate applications for either a change to their Status of Residence, or an extension to their Period of Stay, or both. If you plan to stay in Japan to make final preparations or travel after your contract ends, you are required to submit an application to change your status to "Temporary Visitor" before your current Period of Stay expires. The temporary visitor visa is valid for either 90 days or 15 days. Necessary Documentation to obtain a Temporary Visitor Status of Residence: #Application for permission to Change the Status of Residence (Application forms can be found at Regional Immigration Bureaus) #Passport #Residency Card #Explanation for changing the Status of Residence: Explanation of reasons for staying in Japan, including an itinerary. #Documentation that shows the last day of the JET’s contract and the scheduled date of departure: It is recommended that Contracting Organisations produce such a document. #Others: A copy of the airline ticket for passage out of Japan; or alternatively, a copy of confirmed reservation on a flight out of Japan. The JET must also be able to show that s/he has sufficient funds for travelling and living in Japan until the day of departure.